The detection and accurate decoding of signals in noisy or interference filled surroundings has always been a difficult task. At the reader the level of a received signal can be very low due to the low energy encoding scheme used to encode the signal. This further frustrates the detection and accurate decoding of signals.
Many receivers, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) receivers, perform a symbol-by-symbol correlation on a received signal. The receiver then typically applies a maximum-likelihood sequence detector (MLSD) to the correlation outputs for the detection of information (e.g., ID number, account number, PIN, site code, and any other type of data that may be transmitted to a receiver) from the received signal. In literature, the symbol-error probability performance of encoding schemes used are often not provided, and even when it is provided it is not always correct. Examples of such decoding schemes or methods are given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,315, U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,289, US2005269408 or US2007188305 wherein it take also the name of Viterbi detectors. Such schemes are used for active RFID transponders because of the active transponder's ability to generate a relatively strong signal as compared to passive transponders. Active transponders have this increased ability because a local power source, such as a battery, assists in the generation of a signal whereas passive transponders rely completely upon resonance. Thus, reading distance is lost in passive transponders since there is no ability to compensate for decoding scheme sensitivities by amplifying the signal with an internal power source.
A more general and robust technique is described into US20070096873, wherein indeed a set of predetermined probabilities of symbol-error probability performance is provided. More exactly these probabilities are calculated and permanently adapted in function of variables as data pulse, timing and baud rates which are affecting the quality of the received signal. Even if extremely robust and exact, such decoding schemes have the drawback to consume tremendous computing resources and performances.